Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Love dogs? Celebrate man’s best friend, in all his tail-wagging glory, at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The 2-day event features more than 2,700 pooches going tail to tail to win the coveted Best in Breed title … but only one will be named “America’s Dog.”9601280

Love dogs? Celebrate man’s best friend, in all his tail-wagging glory, at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The 2-day event features more than 2,700 pooches going tail to tail to win the coveted Best in Breed title … but only one will be named “America’s Dog.”

REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Auckland Lantern Festival (New Zealand)

Auckland Lantern Festival (New Zealand)

Enjoy cool summer breezes, and a fresh start, at the Auckland Lantern Festival in New Zealand. Now in its 15th year, this lively annual bash, which comes at the tail end of New Zealand’s summer, celebrates the Chinese New Year with hundreds of lanterns lit up around town. So book a ticket, and ring in the Year of the Horse. 9601280

Enjoy cool summer breezes, and a fresh start, at the Auckland Lantern Festival in New Zealand. Now in its 15th year, this lively annual bash, which comes at the tail end of New Zealand’s summer, celebrates the Chinese New Year with hundreds of lanterns lit up around town. So book a ticket, and ring in the Year of the Horse.

Kitt Foo, flickr

NYC Fashion Week

NYC Fashion Week

See fashion’s best strut their stuff at NY Fashion Week. The Big Apple’s trendiest event of the year usually kicks off during during the first or second week in February. Who will dazzle this year’s list of fashion editors and celebrity guests? Cross over the East River to find out.9601280

See fashion’s best strut their stuff at NY Fashion Week. The Big Apple’s trendiest event of the year usually kicks off during during the first or second week in February. Who will dazzle this year’s list of fashion editors and celebrity guests? Cross over the East River to find out.

REUTERS/Keith Bedford

Super Bowl XLIX (Phoenix, AZ)

Super Bowl XLIX (Phoenix, AZ)

Are you ready for some football? Then, get ready for biggest game of the year … The Super Bowl. Watch the NFC and AFC champions go head to head to win bragging rights and more importantly, the NFL championship title.9601280

Are you ready for some football? Then, get ready for biggest game of the year … The Super Bowl. Watch the NFC and AFC champions go head to head to win bragging rights and more importantly, the NFL championship title.

Mark Cornelison/MCT/Getty Images

Valentine’s Day … on the Run

Valentine’s Day … on the Run

Strip down, and start running, for a good cause on Valentine’s Day. The Annual Cupid’s Undie Run gets thousands of people decked out in their bedroom best to raise awareness for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.9601280

Strip down, and start running, for a good cause on Valentine’s Day. The Annual Cupid’s Undie Run gets thousands of people decked out in their bedroom best to raise awareness for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images

National Margarita Day … Everywhere!

National Margarita Day … Everywhere!

Get your tequila and limes out for National Margarita Day! Whether you’re kicking back on a tropical beach in Mexico or lazing around at home with friends, this revered day offers the perfect excuse to shake it, pour it and sip it to your heart’s content. For a little inspiration, see what goes into making a world-class margarita, too. 9601280

Get your tequila and limes out for National Margarita Day! Whether you’re kicking back on a tropical beach in Mexico or lazing around at home with friends, this revered day offers the perfect excuse to shake it, pour it and sip it to your heart’s content. For a little inspiration, see what goes into making a world-class margarita, too.

Christian Wheatley

Daytona 500

Daytona 500

Rev up for the Daytona 500 this month. The Great American Race kicks off at the Daytona International Speedway in late February, and just as it has since 1959, the annual event promises plenty of high-speed turns, with star drivers like Kyle Larson hitting the track. 9601280

Rev up for the Daytona 500 this month. The Great American Race kicks off at the Daytona International Speedway in late February, and just as it has since 1959, the annual event promises plenty of high-speed turns, with star drivers like Kyle Larson hitting the track.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Sapporo Snow Festival (Japan)

Sapporo Snow Festival (Japan)

For an extraordinary take on winter, head to Japan for one of the country’s largest winter events. The annual Sapporo Snow Festival unfolds over 7 days, with plenty of big wintry attractions, from snow statues to ice sculptures, taking center stage in Japan’s fourth-largest city.9601280

For an extraordinary take on winter, head to Japan for one of the country’s largest winter events. The annual Sapporo Snow Festival unfolds over 7 days, with plenty of big wintry attractions, from snow statues to ice sculptures, taking center stage in Japan’s fourth-largest city.

Saranac Lake Winter Carnival (New York)

Closer to home enjoy a winter wonderland, New York-style. Since its start back in 1897, the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival has grown into one of the oldest winter carnivals in America. The 10-day event showcases plenty of winter magic, from an ice palace made from blocks of ice to the coronation of a winter carnival king and queen.9601280

Closer to home enjoy a winter wonderland, New York-style. Since its start back in 1897, the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival has grown into one of the oldest winter carnivals in America. The 10-day event showcases plenty of winter magic, from an ice palace made from blocks of ice to the coronation of a winter carnival king and queen.

Mark Kurtz, Saranac Lake

Carnival in Rio

Carnival in Rio

Round out the month with a sexy trip to the Carnival capital of the world. Come February, some 2 million people flock to Rio’s streets to celebrate the steamy festival leading up to Lent. Make sure to bring your bikini; February is one of the hottest months in this stretch of the Southern Hemisphere. 9601280

Round out the month with a sexy trip to the Carnival capital of the world. Come February, some 2 million people flock to Rio’s streets to celebrate the steamy festival leading up to Lent. Make sure to bring your bikini; February is one of the hottest months in this stretch of the Southern Hemisphere.

Alexandro Auler/LatinContent/Getty Images

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Walt Disney World Marathon

Kick off the New Year by earning your Disney medals! The annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend unfolds in mid-January, with 4 days of events that include a 5K, 10K and half marathon. Here, Adriano Bastos of Brazil crosses the finish line to win the 20th annual marathon. See more ideas for where to travel in January.9601280

Kick off the New Year by earning your Disney medals! The annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend unfolds in mid-January, with 4 days of events that include a 5K, 10K and half marathon. Here, Adriano Bastos of Brazil crosses the finish line to win the 20th annual marathon. See more ideas for where to travel in January.

Getty Images

Tournament of Roses Parade

Tournament of Roses Parade

Head to the granddaddy of all college bowl games this January. The famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, has been played annually since 1916. Cap off festivities with an even older tradition -- the annual Tournament of the Roses Parade, “America’s New Year Celebration” since 1895.9601280

Head to the granddaddy of all college bowl games this January. The famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, has been played annually since 1916. Cap off festivities with an even older tradition -- the annual Tournament of the Roses Parade, “America’s New Year Celebration” since 1895.

Getty Images

New Year's Plunge (Coney Island)

New Year's Plunge (Coney Island)

Go ahead, take the New Year’s plunge! Every year, since 1903, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club has taken a dip in the chilly Atlantic come New Year’s. All you need is a bathing suit (or wacky costume), plus a little suspension of disbelief that you are actually immersing yourself in ice-cold water in the dead of winter.9601280

Go ahead, take the New Year’s plunge! Every year, since 1903, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club has taken a dip in the chilly Atlantic come New Year’s. All you need is a bathing suit (or wacky costume), plus a little suspension of disbelief that you are actually immersing yourself in ice-cold water in the dead of winter.

Getty Images

South Padre Island

South Padre Island

Coney Island’s waters too cold for you? Take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico at South Padre Island. With average water temperatures in the 50s and 60s this time of year, you can brave the annual South Padre Island Polar Bear Dip and still feel all your toes and fingers afterward. January is also a great time to stroll the Laguna Madre Nature Trail or go on a dolphin cruise. 9601280

Coney Island’s waters too cold for you? Take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico at South Padre Island. With average water temperatures in the 50s and 60s this time of year, you can brave the annual South Padre Island Polar Bear Dip and still feel all your toes and fingers afterward. January is also a great time to stroll the Laguna Madre Nature Trail or go on a dolphin cruise.

Getty Images

North American International Auto Show (Detroit)

North American International Auto Show (Detroit)

New Year, new car! See what the leading automakers have in store at the annual North American International Auto Show. As one of the largest auto shows in North America, the annual event reveals brand-new, shiny offerings like the 7th-generation Chevrolet Corvette, the C7, (pictured), at Detroit’s Cobo Center. 9601280

New Year, new car! See what the leading automakers have in store at the annual North American International Auto Show. As one of the largest auto shows in North America, the annual event reveals brand-new, shiny offerings like the 7th-generation Chevrolet Corvette, the C7, (pictured), at Detroit’s Cobo Center.

Getty Images

Off-Season Pick: Florence, Italy

Off-Season Pick: Florence, Italy

Looking for a great off-season destination? Skip the crowds, and head to Florence, Italy. Sure, it’s one of the Tuscan city’s coldest months, so just pack a scarf; with hardly any tourists, you’ll have ample room to explore Florence’s sites and attractions like the Duomo and Uffizi Gallery.9601280

Looking for a great off-season destination? Skip the crowds, and head to Florence, Italy. Sure, it’s one of the Tuscan city’s coldest months, so just pack a scarf; with hardly any tourists, you’ll have ample room to explore Florence’s sites and attractions like the Duomo and Uffizi Gallery.

Thinkstock

Mexico City in January

Mexico City in January

For an off-season pick closer to home, set your sights on Mexico City. January is one of the best months to visit, with thinner crowds and weather still warm enough for sightseeing. Explore any number of museums (the city is home to more than 170!), plus stroll the oldest park in North America and check out trendy neighborhoods like La Roma.9601280

For an off-season pick closer to home, set your sights on Mexico City. January is one of the best months to visit, with thinner crowds and weather still warm enough for sightseeing. Explore any number of museums (the city is home to more than 170!), plus stroll the oldest park in North America and check out trendy neighborhoods like La Roma.

Thinkstock

Year of the Snake (Chinatown, Boston)

Year of the Snake (Chinatown, Boston)

Ring in the Year of the Snake in Boston’s Chinatown. Right behind NYC and LA, Beantown’s Chinatown is the third-largest in the US, with roots stretching back to the 1880s. Pass through Boston Chinatown’s opening gate, flanked by 2 guardian lions on either side, and enjoy Cantonese cuisine served in small dishes at restaurants like Hei La Moon. 9601280

Ring in the Year of the Snake in Boston’s Chinatown. Right behind NYC and LA, Beantown’s Chinatown is the third-largest in the US, with roots stretching back to the 1880s. Pass through Boston Chinatown’s opening gate, flanked by 2 guardian lions on either side, and enjoy Cantonese cuisine served in small dishes at restaurants like Hei La Moon.

Simon Law, flickr

Learn-to-Ski-and-Snowboard Month

Learn-to-Ski-and-Snowboard Month

Did you know January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month? Hit the slopes in New York State, home to more than 50 ski resorts -- more than any other state in the country. Among the top draws is Whiteface Mountain; just a short drive from Lake Placid, the ski area offers diverse terrain for both beginner and expert skiers. 9601280

Did you know January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month? Hit the slopes in New York State, home to more than 50 ski resorts -- more than any other state in the country. Among the top draws is Whiteface Mountain; just a short drive from Lake Placid, the ski area offers diverse terrain for both beginner and expert skiers.

Thinkstock

Grammys' Big Night in Los Angeles

Grammys' Big Night in Los Angeles

Didn’t get an invite to the Grammys this month? Don’t let that stop you from touring the City of Angels, especially anything to do with the Beatles this year. 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles taking America by storm; while the Grammys will hold its own commemoration, tour sites like the Hollywood Bowl, where the Beatles performed 2 outdoor concerts. 9601280

Didn’t get an invite to the Grammys this month? Don’t let that stop you from touring the City of Angels, especially anything to do with the Beatles this year. 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles taking America by storm; while the Grammys will hold its own commemoration, tour sites like the Hollywood Bowl, where the Beatles performed 2 outdoor concerts.

Thinkstock

Yosemite’s Chefs’ Holidays: The Ahwahnee

Yosemite’s Chefs’ Holidays: The Ahwahnee

Take a tour of the Ahwahnee, the grand Yosemite National Park hotel that has hosted its share of famous guests through the years, from Walt Disney to Queen Elizabeth II. Visit this January for the annual Yosemite’s Chefs’ Holidays, and embark on a Northern California cooking adventure.9601280

Take a tour of the Ahwahnee, the grand Yosemite National Park hotel that has hosted its share of famous guests through the years, from Walt Disney to Queen Elizabeth II. Visit this January for the annual Yosemite’s Chefs’ Holidays, and embark on a Northern California cooking adventure.

Kenny Karst/DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc.

Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival

This January marks the 31st anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival. The American film fest, held annually in Park City, UT, showcases dozens of films. There’s still time to book with the festival’s official carrier, Southwest Airlines; meanwhile, no registration is required for individual tickets to the festival in 2015. 9601280

This January marks the 31st anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival. The American film fest, held annually in Park City, UT, showcases dozens of films. There’s still time to book with the festival’s official carrier, Southwest Airlines; meanwhile, no registration is required for individual tickets to the festival in 2015.

Getty Images

National Cheese Lover’s Day (Vermont)

National Cheese Lover’s Day (Vermont)

Don’t let New Year’s be the one day you celebrate this month; pencil in time for National Cheese Lover’s Day, too. Jan. 20 marks a very special day for cheese gourmands everywhere. Celebrate with a trip to Vermont, home to cheesemakers since the 1800s, and let this Vermont cheese trail map be your guide.9601280

Don’t let New Year’s be the one day you celebrate this month; pencil in time for National Cheese Lover’s Day, too. Jan. 20 marks a very special day for cheese gourmands everywhere. Celebrate with a trip to Vermont, home to cheesemakers since the 1800s, and let this Vermont cheese trail map be your guide.

iStock

MLK Day of Service

MLK Day of Service

Celebrate the life of the civil rights leader during the MLK Day of Service. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., hundreds of nonprofits and volunteer centers nationwide observe the federal holiday, named in King’s honor back in 1983, as a day of giving back to local communities and shelters. Grab a hammer and lend a hand. 9601280

Celebrate the life of the civil rights leader during the MLK Day of Service. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., hundreds of nonprofits and volunteer centers nationwide observe the federal holiday, named in King’s honor back in 1983, as a day of giving back to local communities and shelters. Grab a hammer and lend a hand.

Getty Images

Elvis Presley's Birthday

Elvis Presley's Birthday

Celebrate the life of another King: On Jan. 8, 1935, Elvis Presley was born in a 2-room house in Tupelo, MI. This month, Elvis’s Graceland estate hosts a 3-day-long birthday celebration. Rise bright and early for the Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony on Graceland’s North Lawn, and stay for the birthday-cake cutting. 9601280

Celebrate the life of another King: On Jan. 8, 1935, Elvis Presley was born in a 2-room house in Tupelo, MI. This month, Elvis’s Graceland estate hosts a 3-day-long birthday celebration. Rise bright and early for the Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony on Graceland’s North Lawn, and stay for the birthday-cake cutting.

Ed Schipul, flickr

Aspen's Winterskol Fest

Aspen's Winterskol Fest

Raise a toast to winter in Aspen’s annual Winterskol fest. The winter tradition is more than 60 years strong, and was started by a lodge owner who wanted to enliven the Aspen winter season following Christmas. Today, the 4-day winter fest includes a snow sculpture competition, a soup cook-off and a downhill race, with apple strudel at the finish line. 9601280

Raise a toast to winter in Aspen’s annual Winterskol fest. The winter tradition is more than 60 years strong, and was started by a lodge owner who wanted to enliven the Aspen winter season following Christmas. Today, the 4-day winter fest includes a snow sculpture competition, a soup cook-off and a downhill race, with apple strudel at the finish line.

Holi (India)

Celebrate spring with a dash of color. The annual Holi festival in India inspires revelers to hit the streets, playfully throwing powdered colors on each other. Once your clothes are doused with all sorts of hues, you’ll understand why this is called a festival of colors.9601280

Celebrate spring with a dash of color. The annual Holi festival in India inspires revelers to hit the streets, playfully throwing powdered colors on each other. Once your clothes are doused with all sorts of hues, you’ll understand why this is called a festival of colors.

Reuters

Daytona Bike Week

Daytona Bike Week

Rev up for a week of diesel and fun at Daytona Bike Week. The annual motorcycle rally attracts some of the fiercest bikers, clad in leather (and sometimes little else) to celebrate the freedom of the open road.9601280

Rev up for a week of diesel and fun at Daytona Bike Week. The annual motorcycle rally attracts some of the fiercest bikers, clad in leather (and sometimes little else) to celebrate the freedom of the open road.

DonRichards, flickr

MLB Opening Season

MLB Opening Season

Calling all baseball fans! Grab a hot dog, popcorn and peanuts to enjoy one of America's favorite pastimes. Travel to watch the opening game to kick off the Major League Baseball season. 9601280

Calling all baseball fans! Grab a hot dog, popcorn and peanuts to enjoy one of America's favorite pastimes. Travel to watch the opening game to kick off the Major League Baseball season.

Getty Images

Las Fallas (Valencia, Spain)

Las Fallas (Valencia, Spain)

Enjoy a high-spirited fiesta in Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city. The annual bash, held in commemoration of Saint Joseph, sees neighborhoods transformed into lively parties over a boisterous 5-day period.9601280

Enjoy a high-spirited fiesta in Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city. The annual bash, held in commemoration of Saint Joseph, sees neighborhoods transformed into lively parties over a boisterous 5-day period.

Getty Images

Spring Equinox: Stonehenge

Spring Equinox: Stonehenge

Mark the beginning of spring with a celebratory gathering at Stonehenge. Join the crowds who gather at the mysterious stone structures in Wiltshire, England, to see the sun rise, ushering in the spring equinox.9601280

Mark the beginning of spring with a celebratory gathering at Stonehenge. Join the crowds who gather at the mysterious stone structures in Wiltshire, England, to see the sun rise, ushering in the spring equinox.

Getty Images

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day

Don your friendliest green for St. Patrick’s Day. Boston is the place to be, with the city’s official St. Patrick’s Day Parade drawing anywhere from 600,000 to 1 million people every year.9601280

Don your friendliest green for St. Patrick’s Day. Boston is the place to be, with the city’s official St. Patrick’s Day Parade drawing anywhere from 600,000 to 1 million people every year.

Getty Images

March Madness

March Madness

Get out your ballots, it’s time for March Madness. The annual college basketball showdown begins March 18. Stay glued to the tube and watch every game live or hit the road and check out our list of the best college basketball towns.9601280

Get out your ballots, it’s time for March Madness. The annual college basketball showdown begins March 18. Stay glued to the tube and watch every game live or hit the road and check out our list of the best college basketball towns.

Getty Images

Spring Break (Panama City Beach)

Spring Break (Panama City Beach)

Slap on your sunscreen and grab your shades for a laid-back spring break on Panama City Beach. This sunny haven on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico beckons with its tagline, “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.” You’ll see why once you sink your toes into its unique sugar-white sand.9601280

Slap on your sunscreen and grab your shades for a laid-back spring break on Panama City Beach. This sunny haven on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico beckons with its tagline, “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.” You’ll see why once you sink your toes into its unique sugar-white sand.

iStock

South by Southwest

South by Southwest

Pull up a seat at the leading film, interactive and music festival showcase in America. Every year, since 1987, South by Southwest has put the spotlight on Austin, TX, and cutting-edge communication trends; see what’s in store this year, with speakers like Chelsea Clinton and actress Mindy Kaling. 9601280

Pull up a seat at the leading film, interactive and music festival showcase in America. Every year, since 1987, South by Southwest has put the spotlight on Austin, TX, and cutting-edge communication trends; see what’s in store this year, with speakers like Chelsea Clinton and actress Mindy Kaling.